Oh, Marrakech, you were so unbelievably interesting and chaotic, two of my favourite things about a city, but I had no energy whatsoever left. None. After our Sahara journey, I was spent. We were spent. The tank was empty.
Exhaustion had taken an immediate and tight hold over us as soon as we arrived in the old medina of Marrakech. Luckily, I had the foresight to book Riad Dar Yasaman, which looked like a pretty and relaxing riad. It was both, and then some.
First off, the place was stunning. It had been renovated with the most beautiful textiles and textures. (I was a total goner for the green zellige tile floors). It had a giant fan palm tree in the riad’s courtyard that reached all the way to the rooftop. The place was quiet, and our hosts, Ali and Abdel, couldn’t have been more helpful. They showed us to our big, cozy room on the main floor (yay, no stairs) and we literally collapsed on the bed.
A random story from the hot tub
We had only a couple days left in Morocco and my best intentions were to take in as much of Marrakech’s delights as possible. Truthfully, our energy tank had only enough fuel left to take us to the rooftop and soak in the spa.
On our first night, we found the rooftop empty but lit up beautifully with thriving cacti in every direction. It was terribly inviting. We quickly sunk into the hot tub and Chuck put a Man City game on his phone. We each found our own jet to sit our backs against *aaaahhhh* then sparked up cigars and relaxed like nobody’s business.
Pure bliss.
We were so tired, this moment couldn’t have been better.
But it was short-lived. Another couple arrived with their friend to also partake in the spa goodness. (Is it just me or is it awkward sharing a hot tub with strangers? Maybe it’s because ‘The Love-ahs‘ SNL skit immediately comes to mind. 🤣)
After a little small talk, we learned the couple was from California. They looked like they were from Cali, and they definitely sounded like they were. They had that cool Cali accent, I couldn’t help but think Malibu surfers. Their friend was from Wyoming, and when I looked at him I was like, correct. 😉
Now, why am I even writing about this awkward hot tub situation. Well, I don’t know exactly. They were nice, we actually chatted quite a bit, in a very tight space, in hot water. 😬😬 And then came the typical travel-small-talk question, “what brought you to Morocco?”
They proceeded to tell us how they came for an adventure trip together. They were literally taken to the middle of nowhere in the country and dropped off with no way to get back to Marrakech. All they had was their backpacks. No phones.
Seriously, WTF. Why would you do that???
And Morocco is freaking cold in January. I thought Chuck and I were exhausted, haha, we are just wimps I guess. I sat in wonder listening to their whole trip and thought “wow, how cool,” and also, “never in my life, no, no, no.”
It almost sounded like they were filming a Survivor-like reality show. I have no clue why anyone would sign up for that type of trip with their own money if it’s not to win something? (Uh oh, I think I am becoming one of those “these kids today…smh” people. It was bound to happen, I’m in the right age-bracket for it now. 😢)
Those extreme adventurers needed that hot tub soak more than we did. So, as awkward as it initially seemed, we had a great time hearing about their insane adventure before we left them so they could have their own privacy for awhile.
Shop the souks til you drop
Besides chilling in our riad, and attending AFCON matches, the only other thing we did in Marrakech was shop. Not tour, not go to gardens, not check out any culturally significant places. Just shop. The shopping was that good. (But honestly, it was better in Fes, if I only knew.)
We picked up everything we wanted that was left on our lists. Plus, I got a couple pairs of those cute stitched shoes you see everywhere in the markets. Not sure where I will wear them or how long they will last, but they are cute and leather and affordable.
The one thing I wish I could have bought was all the amazing green pottery. All of it! Those shiny, vibrant pieces constantly caught my eye. But too fragile and heavy to travel with.
I did also pick up a djellaba robe for myself and found a shopkeeper who made me 20 tiny pom-poms so I could get them stitched on my robe like the one I wore in the desert. (pictured right)
The last thing we picked up before leaving was snacks! We found an area in the souks where there were lots of nut shops. Omg, they were sooooo good. We picked up large bags of roasted cashews, roasted peanuts with skins-on, and crunchy-coated spicy peanuts. I’m wistfully thinking about them as I type. If you ever find yourself in Marrakech, find the nut shops. You will not regret it. Unless, allergies, obviously.
Memorable Morocco
Marrakech was our last stop on an incredible journey to Morocco. It was colder than I thought it would be. It was more colourful than I thought it would be. It was more surprising than I thought it could ever be.
And it was much, much more friendlier than I was told it would be. Now, maybe that’s because I was traveling with an African, and Moroccans seemed thrilled to meet folks from other African countries (Not Algeria tho 😂) traveling within their country, which is all sorts of awesome. Continent kinship!
In our 14 days, we were charmed by the old medina of Fes and got lost in the beauty of blue in Chefchaouen. We soaked up the salty sea air in Tangier and shopped for all the goodies in the chaotic souks of Marrakech. We cheered with other Africans at AFCON and went on an epic journey to the Sahara.
Morocco was everything we hoped it would be and so much more.
